Gravity fed bottle storage and display rack

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for storing and displaying bottles that includes one or more hollow column members configured to contain a plurality of bottles in a vertical orientation, and to allow the bottles to be gravity fed when a lowest bottle is dispensed therefrom. Each member has a back portion with a substantially flat surface configured for being in a face to face relationship with a wall surface to which the member is attached. A cylinder portion extends from a top of the member to a predetermined location along the back portion followed by an open portion below the extended cylinder portion and a bottom base portion spaced-apart from the extended cylinder portion. Each member has an opening at the top sized to insert each bottle. The bottom base portion at the bottom of each member serves as a platform for resting the lowest bottle.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an apparatus for storing, displaying and keeping track of inventory of typically liquid bottle containers such as hair coloring liquid bottles used in hair salons or similar applications where bottles can be stored and dispensed from a columnar type of bottle holder.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Although the background discussed below is related to hair salons, it is obvious that the invention described herein can be applied to a variety of other industries. Storing and displaying professional liquid hair color products can be problematic for hair salons. A typical salon needs to stock several bottles of each individual shade of hair color. For example, if REDKEN® (herein after referred to simply as Redken) brand hair color products are used, Redken has two brands of liquid hair color. Each brand is comprised of about 60 shades. All hair color companies periodically add new shades and new brands to their lines. So, at any one time, as much as 120 or more shades of hair color has to be stored and displayed with the ability to expand as needed. Further, a varying amounts of back stock of each shade is needed. For example, 3 to 6 (sometimes more) two-ounce bottles of each of the 120 shades of Redken brand liquid hair color may be on hand in the hair salon. What is needed is a way to store anywhere from 500 to 700 two-ounce bottles of hair color in a small area and have them easily accessed by the employees of the hair salon. The bottles need to be vertical to prevent leaking from partially used bottles. The invention described below further acts as a preventive measure to prevent the problem of having several open bottles of the same shade. What is needed is also a device that facilitate the ability to be able to restock and inventory the bottles with little effort.

The only way provided by the manufactures to store their products is in grooved plastic trays where the bottles sit upright. The problem with them is that when the first bottle is removed the next one does not move forward. The bottles tip over easily and can leak if the tops were not replaced tightly. When restocking, often the wrong shade is added to a row. The trays are usually about 12 inches wide and need to sit on a counter or shelf taking up valuable workspace. The trays can only be expanded in 12-inch segments causing wasted space when only a few more rows of storage are needed. The trays also make restocking and counting inventory difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention described below effectively provides a color column of liquid bottle display. It is completely customizable. Typically, each column is less than 2 inches wide and 2 inches deep with a length of about 24 inches. Each columnar unit can be grouped with others in any number to accommodate available space and can be expanded as needed. Large salons, beauty academies and beauty supply stores could mount as many as needed to store large amounts of back stock.

The inventive apparatus is versatile. Each columnar unit has a flat back that can be mounted by screws, nails, adhesive, hook and loop fasteners or two-sided tape. They can be mounted to walls, doors, inside or outside of cabinet doors or just about anyplace there is vertical space. The invention is space saving. It uses no shelf or counter space. Inventory control is facilitated. Cut outs along the front allow for easy view of back stock and for counting inventory. The invention is configured to dispense only one bottle at a time to help prevent multiple bottles of the same shade from being opened. Inventory can be rotated as new inventory is added from the top while existing inventory is used from the bottom preventing “old” stock. The invention provides a neat way of storing and display the bottle. All bottles are stored vertically and cannot tip over, which prevents leaking of previously opened bottles.

More specifically, the invention is an apparatus for storing and displaying bottles that includes one or more hollow column members configured to contain a plurality of bottles in a vertical orientation, and to allow the bottles to be gravity fed when a lowest bottle is dispensed therefrom. Each member has a back portion with a substantially flat surface configured for being in a face to face relationship with a wall surface to which the member is attached. A cylinder portion extends from a top of the member to a predetermined location along the back portion followed by an open portion below the extended cylinder portion and a bottom base portion spaced-apart from the extended cylinder portion. Each member has an opening at the top sized to insert each bottle. The bottom base portion at the bottom of each member serves as a platform for resting the lowest bottle.

The invention is more fully described below utilizing the drawings that accompany this written description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a representative example of the present invention in use holding bottles within its single columnar unit;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a single columnar unit representative of one example of the present invention;

FIG. 3A is a plan view of the invention depicted in FIG. 2;

FIG. 3B is a cross-section view taken from line 3-B in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a right side view of the invention depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a back side view of the invention depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an exploded two component depiction of one example of making the invention depicted in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a representative example of the present invention similar to FIG. 1, except without bottles within its single columnar unit; and

FIG. 8 is a depiction of a plurality of single columnar units mounted to a wall with bottles stored and displayed within each unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1, 2, 3A-3B and 4-8 disclose one or more representative examples of the present invention, which is an apparatus for storing and displaying bottles, depicted generally as 10. The invention 10 comprises one or more elongate generally cylindrically shaped hollow column members 12 having a predetermined height, said members 12 having a hollow interior dimension 14 sized to contain a plurality of bottles 16 in a vertical orientation, one above the other, and to allow the bottles 16 to be gravity fed and slide in a downward motion when a lowest bottle 16a is dispensed from one of the members 12.

Each member 12 has a back portion 18 with a substantially flat surface 18a configured for being in a face to face relationship with a wall surface 20 to which the members 12 are to be attached.

The members 12 have a cylinder portion 22 that extends from proximate a top of the members 12 to a predetermined location along the back portion 18, an open portion 24 below the extended cylinder portion 22 and a bottom base portion 26 spaced-apart from the extended cylinder portion 22.

There are several means for attaching the invention to a wall surface 20. Some equivalent ways may include hook and loop fasteners, wall adhesive, back to back tape, and other means known in the art. The preferred means for attaching each of the members 12 to a wall surface 20 is by providing two or more spaced-apart holes 28 located vertically through the back portion 18, where the holes 28 serve as means for inserting wall attachment fasteners (not shown).

The members 12 have an opening 30 at the top sized to insert each of the plurality of bottles 16 for storage within the members 12. The bottom base portion 26 at a bottom of the members 12 serve as a platform or means for resting the lowest bottle 16a before it is dispensed.

The bottom base portion 26 further comprises an opening 26a sized to allow a user to push a finger (not shown) in an upward direction to slightly lift the lowest bottle 16a for facilitating its dispensing through the open portion 24.

Preferably, the invention further comprises means for identifying and counting said bottles 16 within each of the members 12. This can be done in a number of ways such as having the cylinder portion made from a clear material; however, a preferred method is to provide a plurality of spaced-apart apertures 32 in a vertical orientation on each cylinder portion 22. Other means for identifying the stored bottles within a columnar member 12, include labels (not shown). Such labels could be applied on the back portion 18 that extends above the cylinder portion 22 shown in the drawings and/or could be applied to the inside surface of the back portion 18 that is exposed in the open portion 24. If bottom base portion 26 is wide enough, a label could be applied to its front surface.

In a preferred embodiment to facilitate the assembly and cleaning of the invention, the invention 10 can be made such that the cylinder portion 22 and the back portion 18 are detachably engaged as shown in FIG. 6, where clips 34a can be joined with mating sockets 34b.

The invention can be made from a variety of materials including, bit not limited to, plastic material, composite polymer material, metal material and combinations thereof.

It should be understood that the preceding is merely a detailed description of one or more embodiments of this invention and that numerous changes to the disclosed embodiments can be made in accordance with the disclosure herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The preceding description, therefore, is not meant to limit the scope of the invention. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be determined only by the appended claims and their equivalents. 

1. An apparatus for storing and displaying bottles comprising: one or more elongate generally cylindrically shaped hollow column members having a predetermined height, said members having a hollow interior dimension sized to contain a plurality of bottles in a vertical orientation, one above the other, and to allow said bottles to be gravity fed and slide in a downward motion when a lowest bottle is dispensed from one of said members; each of said members having a back portion with a substantially flat surface configured for being in a face to face relationship with a wall surface to which said members are to be attached to; each of said members having a cylinder portion that extends from proximate a top of said members to a predetermined location along said back portion, an open portion below said extended cylinder portion and a bottom base portion spaced-apart from said extended cylinder portion; means for attaching each of said members to said wall surface; each of said members having an opening at said top of said members sized to insert each of said plurality of bottles for storage within said members; and said bottom base portion at a bottom of said members serving as means for resting said lowest bottle before being dispensed.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said bottom base portion further comprises an opening sized to allow a user to push a finger in an upward direction to slightly lift said lowest bottle for facilitating its dispensing through said open portion.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for identifying and counting said bottles within each of said members.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said means for identifying and counting said bottles within each of said members comprises a plurality of spaced-apart apertures in a vertical orientation on each of said cylinder portions.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for attaching each of said members to said wall surface comprises two or more spaced-apart holes located vertically through said back portion, said holes serving as means for inserting wall attachment fasteners.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cylinder portion and said back portion are detachably engaged to facilitate assembly and maintenance of each of said members.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said members is made from material selected from the group consisting of plastic material, composite polymer material, metal material and combinations thereof. 